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DWLS-FM
DWLS, branded as Barangay LS 97.1, is a commercial radio station which broadcasts 24 hours a day (except during the Paschal Triduum of the Holy Week annually), featuring Contemporary MOR and OPM format. It serves as the flagship FM station of RGMA (Radio GMA Network, Inc.), a subsidiary of GMA Network Inc. in the Philippines under the Barangay FM brand.1 The station's studio is located at the GMA Network Center Complex, EDSA corner Timog Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, with transmitter located at GMA Tower of Power Barangay Culiat, Tandang Sora, Quezon City National Capital Region, Philippines. Barangay LS 97.1 was recognized as the #1 FM radio station in Mega Manila, according to the Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement survey conducted in the month of May, 2017. History DZXX (1955–1972; 1974-1976) It first aired in June 1955, when "Uncle Bob" Stewart opened the DZXX-AM 890 kHz station, the first pop music station in the country on AM format. WLS-FM/The Giant (1976–1992) On July 1976, GMA launched 97.1 WLS-FM as an adult standards and jazz station. In 1981, at the height of popularity of pop music, it switched to Adult Top 40 format, with the slogan The Best Music. It was known for playing hourly Beatles music every weekday early mornings, which was later on adopted by 100.3 RJFM. In November 1988, upon the completion of GMA's Tower of Power, WLS earned the brand, The Giant 97.1 WLS-FM. Campus Radio (1992–2007) When GMA was renamed as the "Rainbow Satellite Network" in the early 1992, the station was reformatted on April 30, 1992 as Campus Radio 97.1 WLS-FM, with a Top 40 format. This was to target teens & early adults. Its notable programs were the longest-running program on the station, the legendary "Top 20 at 12" (anchored by Milo Cavarlez aka The Triggerman, which was first heard on Kiss FM 101.1 (now 101.1 Yes The Best), where the top 20 songs of the day were counted down in the mold of BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart Show at noontime, and "Campus Aircheck", an institution of sorts for aspiring DJs to get hired by Campus Radio, touted as "the first school on the air". In 1995, when Mike Enriquez took over the radio operations, Campus Radio was reformatted to a contemporary MOR format, earning its slogan "Forever!". At this time, a few programs were introduced, notably the Message Center, wherein one's message must not be a greeting. By the end of 1999, it shifted back to Top 40. During that time as an English-language radio station, they used jingles designed for the station by JAM Creative Productions. Barangay LS (2007–present) On February 14, 2007, Campus Radio rebranded as Barangay LS 97.1, using its old slogan, "Forever!". It reverts back to a masa format. Despite Campus Radio's dominant ratings performance in the pop category, GMA's FM radio sales unit failed to sell the format. With consistently low sales figures, this paved the way for Mike Enriquez to successfully persuade the network's upper management to agree to shift WLS to a seemingly more profitable "masa" format. Most of the staff were retained, albeit changing their names. Unfortunately, the industry reception is lukewarm and Barangay LS has yet to regain the revenue losses incurred by the shift of advertisers to competing FM stations. Last January 16, 2008 at around 6 pm, the station launched its new tagline, "Ayos!", which is also the tagline for RGMA's provincial Campus Radio stations. That same day, almost all of the staff who were also from the former Campus Radio format, and after years of loyal service to GMA Network, were summarily dismissed by Mike Enriquez. Despite rising from #7 to #4 in the ratings, Enriquez deemed them unfit to take the format to the ratings game. In turn, they were replaced unceremoniously by jocks from RGMA provincial radio stations as well as jocks from other masa stations. Barangay LS 97.1 logo (2011-2014) On January 17, 2011, facing competition with the latest masa stations, the new tagline "Tugstugan Na!" was launched and the station adapted the "crazy fun" sound brand in the market. Mike Enriquez was replaced by Glenn F. Allona as program director/station manager, aiming Barangay LS to bring back the focus on the staple of FM Programming which is music. On February 17, 2014, Barangay LS 97.1 was rebranded with reformatted programs, new jingle, a new logo & a new slogan called "Isang Bansa, Isang Barangay". Along its reformat, RGMA's FM radio stations carrying the Campus Radio brand (including 99.5 RT in Cebu, 103.5 Wow FM in Davao and Super Radyo DYRU 92.9 in Kalibo) adopted the Barangay FM branding. The network rebranding was made to compete with its rival FM radio network My Only Radio, owned by the network's competitor ABS-CBN, following the relaunch of DWRR-FM as MOR's flagship station seven months earlier. Barangay LS 97.1 logo (2017-2019) In July 2019, the station readapted its original slogan "Forever!" (after it was dropped in 2008). Ken Chan and Rita Daniela performed its station's new jingle entitled Tayo ay Forever, to be released under GMA Music. Disk Jockeys *''Mama Belle'' *''Mama Cy'' *''Chiko Tito'' *''Papa Dudut'' *''Papa Jepoy'' *''Papa Obet (also a voiceover of Super Radyo DZBB 594, GMA Network and GMA News TV)'' *''Papa Carlo'' *''Mama Emma (also with Super Radyo DZBB 594)'' *''Papa Marky (also with Super Radyo DZBB 594)'' *''Papa Bol'' *''Papa Ding'' *''Papa JT'' *''Janna Chu Chu (also with Super Radyo DZBB 594)'' *''Lady Gracia'' *''Papa Ace'' Barangay FM stations Further information: List of GMA Network radio stations § Barangay FM stations See also *''GMA Network'' *''DZBB-TV'' *''GMA News TV'' *''GMA Super Radyo DZBB 594'' References #''^ "Official 'About' page for GMA Network". GMA Network. Archived from the original on August 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-16. GMA-7 cruises the airwaves through dzBB-AM and dwLS-FM in Manila and in 22 other radio stations throughout the country. In 2007, the company has reformatted its flagship station DWLS-FM as "Barangay LS Forever!"'' #''^ "Barangay LS 97.1 is top FM station in Mega Manila". GMA Network. July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.'' #''^ Crispina Martinez-Belen (March 24, 2014). "Barangay LS: One Country, One Barangay, One Sound". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014.'' #''^ Inc, GMA New Media. "EXCLUSIVE: Ken Chan at Rita Daniela, aawit ng theme song ng Barangay LS | GMANetwork.com - Radio - Articles". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved July 26, 2019.'' External links *''Official website'' Category:Barangay FM stations Barangay LS 97.1 Barangay LS 97.1 Category:Adult top 40 radio stations Category:Radio stations in National Capital Region Category:Radio stations established in 1955 Category:1955 establishments in the Philippines